Notions

Welcome to Generation Q Magazine, the new blogzine and online source of fun, information and inspiration for those who love the modern and contemporary vibe in quilting, sewing and crafting.

GenQ has been in the birth canal for, oh, more than a year, back when we (GenQ editors Jake Finch, Melissa Thompson Maher and Megan Dougherty) first snapped to the excitement and allure of the modern movement. Most of the quilty magazine community saw mods as a fun, but contained, niche in a quilting world rich with diversity, but we just knew there was more going on than bold, graphic quilts with a lot of solids and wonky cuts, and we wanted to play, too!

This creative, youthful quilting community—literally, the Generation Q—is just humming with ideas, energy and enthusiasm for using needle and thread to define, enhance and embellish life. Fueled by a fresh, no-rules approach to quilting, crafting and stitching, this growing world of stitchers brings a surge of new vitality to a q-universe where the average age of a quilter is supposed to be 62. (And can we just say “thank you” for busting that age stereotype thing wide open?)

It’s not just about the mods, though. Contemporary quilters, those we loosely define as eclectic in style and ability, casual in communication and deeply appreciative of fun and creativity, are as much a part of what GenQ is about. This is so not about our ages. Being Generation Q is about living the life we love. (Did you see our tagline? “Quilt. Sew. Live. Breathe.” Says it all, we think.)

Generation Q Magazine will explore the people, fabrics, designers and trends that give this mod/contemporary movement its signature stitchy style. We’ll be a storehouse of inspiration and information for the drool-worthy stuff we all love most about quilting and sewing. Guest bloggers will check in regularly and there’ll be features covering all aspects of the q-life. Patterns and projects? Of course, but oh, so much more as well!

And we’ll be a community for expression and discovery. Sure, we’ll nod at the rules, but instead of invoking some Quilt Police-ish mantra, we’ll offer just-the-facts tutorials so we can all build our stitchy skills together. We’ll take every opportunity to laugh—and make you laugh right along with us! And because we revel in extending creativity to every facet of daily life, we’ll dig out and serve up the lifestyle information that feeds this hunger. We’ll also build up the community facet of GenQ with source lists and links to other blogs, charity efforts, contests, shows and more—anything of interest to you and us.

So, the fun starts today! Generation Q Magazine will publish weekdays, five days a week. Every Sunday, we’ll post a sneak peek at the week to come, sort of a menu of the delicious bits we’ll be serving. Since this is the debut, we didn’t get to the menu yesterday. (We were too busy trying to figure out how to post things!) So now we’ll tell you that tomorrow is our first, too-cool project flying your way, a delightful little wall quilt, Two Buds, by Elaine Wong Haselhuhn. Elaine is a member of the Modern Quilt Guild Milwaukee, and this is her first (of many we’re sure) official design publication. Thanks for playing with us, Elaine!

As we grow, there will be more treats for you to enjoy. Being the Shameless Promo Hos we are, all we ask is that you spread the word about GenQ. The more people who play with us, the faster we can grow. So sell us, baby! Make us yours. We’re up for the task. And all feedback is completely welcome.

P.P.S: And we also, in the interest of Shameless Promo Ho activities, have established a Zazzle store with pretty little things featuring our new badge. Come see if it’s worth parting with some of your green to tell the world, “I am GenQ” at http://www.zazzle.com/generationqmagazine.

Now, we couldn’t just leave you without a little something to celebrate the new generation of creative stitchers. So we tapped our talents and came up with the following, a very special cocktail just for…all of us! Raise your fave goblet high, sing out the toast written by our Dear Megan below and knock back this incredible GenQ Piecemaker in honor of our wonderfully insane fiber life!

GenQ Inaugural Toast

Here’s to the quilters,

the sewists and stitchers,

whose comments and emails

make our blog that much richer.

We’re toasting to you

for without you we’re nothing

but three lonely old broads

(and one guy-type stud muffin).

Here’s to the quilts

that we cannot stop sewing.

Here’s to the stash

that, oh yes, is still growing.

Here’s to our Singers,

Berninas and Pfaffs.

Here’s to our jones

For fabric-based crafts.

Here’s to new ventures,

to friends old and new.

Here’s to the future.

‘Cuz we are GenQ!

GenQ Piecemaker Cocktail

5 ounces Godiva chocolate liqueur

1 ounce vanilla-flavored vodka

8 ounces sweet champagne *

In shaker, combine Godiva liqueur and vanilla vodka. Divide between two glasses. Add champagne to glasses slowly. It will bubble up nicely. Garnish with chunk of chocolate partially slit** and placed on glass rims. Serves 2.

*A wonderful substitute for sweet champagne is almond champagne, which offers just a bit more sweetness.

**Chocolate would have shown up in finished photo if our non-professional food stylist had been able to accomplish adequately that very same slit we’re asking of you. Go ahead—rub it in. And then send us a picture of your perfectly perched chocolate chunk and we’ll make you Cocktail Goddess of the Week. We’re not sure yet what you’ll get for the title, but we’ll think of something…

I love everything about this. Everything. It makes me want to make a margarita and toast you guys right now. (Even though it isn’t noon yet here and I’m at home because I’ve had my eyes dilated and everything is freakishly bright and blurry – maybe one of your chocolate drinks will help.) Congratulations to you all and I am so so happy you are here.

Nope. Couldn’t make it more confusing if we tried. Should have seen how confused we were last night trying to figure this all out But we have some awesome slaves and they’ve earned their keep this week! Thanks for playing Kelly!

Oh, I am SO looking forward to this! I think we can all benefit from learning new techniques and seeing new designs. Inspiration, education, encouragement, friendship, fellowship, creativity…love it! 🙂 I’ll mention you guys at our MQG meeting tonight and hopefully drive more traffic your way.

Great news that you’re doing an online quilting magazine. I don’t have time to read all the comments, so I don’t know if I’m the first to suggest this but, before too many people get a copy of the button, re-issue a .gif version so that the white around it ends up transparent. If one’s background colour isn’t white, the button doesn’t look too cool. Other than that, cute poem, and I’m looking forward to what you’re all gonna do…